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Florida to end 'slavery' of vaccine mandates
A top Florida health official on Wednesday vowed to end all vaccine mandates, including school immunization requirements, likening the measures to prevent childhood diseases to slavery.

Clippers dodged NBA salary cap with phony job for Leonard - report
The Los Angeles Clippers circumvented NBA salary cap rules by paying superstar Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a job that didn't exist, according to allegations in the Pablo Finds Out podcast on Wednesday.

Gaza drama gets 23-minute ovation at Venice premiere
A gut-wrenching new film about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year was given a 23-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the star-studded Venice Film Festival on Wednesday.

Nagelsmann warns Wirtz 'needs time' to shine at Liverpool
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Monday backed new Liverpool recruit Florian Wirtz to return to his best form after a low-key start to his Premier League career.

Epstein victims compiling list of sexual abusers
Victims of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein said Wednesday they were compiling a confidential list of his associates who abused underage girls.

Director Julian Schnabel hits out at boycott calls over Israel
US director Julian Schnabel has hit out at calls to boycott Scottish actor Gerard Butler who has been targeted by activists for his alleged previous support for the Israeli military.

Bangladesh win T20 series against Netherlands 2-0 after no result
Bangladesh won their three-match T20 series against the Netherlands 2-0 after rain forced the final match to be abandoned on Wednesday.

Trump offers more US troops in talks with Poland's nationalist president
President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday at the White House with a military flyover and an offer to send more US troops to the eastern European ally.

US West Coast states announce new agency for vaccine guidelines
California, Washington and Oregon announced Wednesday they will form a new public health body to issue vaccine guidelines, saying the move is needed to counter the Trump administration's growing "politicization" of science.

Lost for 50 years, Nobel patents found in Swedish summer home
A dozen patents belonging to Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel and lost for almost 50 years were recently found in a Swedish couple's summer house, the Nobel Foundation told AFP.

Stocks bounce as global bond selloff eases
European and US equities mostly rebounded Wednesday as a global bond selloff eased, with shares in Google parent Alphabet jumping after a favourable court ruling.

Trump 'attacking US universities': ex-Harvard president
The Trump administration is attacking higher education institutions in the United States as authoritarian governments seek to quash independent thought, the former president of Harvard University said Wednesday.

Pro-Palestinian protest forces Vuelta stage to be shortened
The 11th stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race was shortened on Wednesday as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated at the finish line, organisers said.

Putin vows not to back down in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday vowed to carry on fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal cannot be reached, striking a defiant tone a day before Kyiv's allies gather in Paris to discuss security guarantees.

Docu-drama gives 'voice' to Gaza victims at Venice Festival
A harrowing film that premiered at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year gives a "voice and face" to Palestinian victims of the war, its director said.

Bolsonaro lawyers tell Brazil court acquittal 'imperative'
The defense team of Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro told the close of his trial for coup plotting on Wednesday that an acquittal was "imperative" to avoid what it presented as a potential miscarriage of justice.

At least 21,000 children disabled in Gaza war: UN committee
At least 21,000 children in Gaza have been disabled since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, a United Nations committee said Wednesday.

Trump welcomes nationalist Polish president for talks dominated by Ukraine
US President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday for talks focused on the war in Ukraine -- featuring a flyover as the right-wing leader arrived at the White House.

Putin says not heard of Jude Law film portrait
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he had not heard about "The Wizard of the Kremlin", a film starring Jude Law as the Russian leader that premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

'Block everything': France on alert ahead of nationwide protest
French authorities are bracing for a day of nationwide protests led by far-left activists next week, with intelligence officials warning the movement's decentralised nature makes its scale and impact difficult to predict.

Treat carbon storage like 'scarce resource': scientists
The amount of carbon dioxide that can be stored underground is vastly overestimated, new research said Wednesday, challenging assumptions about the "limitless" potential this approach holds to reducing global warming.

Ryanair slashes winter seats in Spain over airport fees
Irish budget airline Ryanair on Wednesday said it would slash more than one million winter seats in Spain over "excessive airport fees", sparking "extortion" accusations from the national airport operator.

European fans take aim at hosting league matches overseas
European supporters groups on Wednesday said plans by the Spanish and Italian football federations to host league matches overseas were "absurd".

Impact of US judge's ruling on Google's search dominance
Google has escaped a breakup of its Chrome browser in a major US competition case, but the judge imposed remedies whose impact remains uncertain just as AI starts to compete with search engines.

Days after quake, Afghan survivors still await aid
Rescue teams struggled Wednesday to reach survivors as night approached days after a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, as access to remote areas remained obstructed.

Xi, Putin, Kim meeting 'direct challenge' to international system: EU top diplomat
The presence of the leaders of Russia and North Korea alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at a massive parade in Beijing Wednesday was part of efforts to build an anti-Western "new world order", the EU's foreign policy chief said.

Harrowing docu-drama gives 'voice' to Gaza victims at Venice Festival
A gut-wrenching film premiering at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year gives a "voice" to Palestinian victims of the war, its director said.

UK govt pledges to keep grip on spending ahead of budget
Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves on Wednesday promised to keep a "tight grip" on public spending as interest rates soar on the UK's long-term debt, and set November 26 for her annual budget speech.

Director tells Venice that Gaza film gives 'voice' to victims
The director of a new film about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza told the Venice Film Festival Wednesday she wanted to give "a voice and a face" to victims.

EU presents Mercosur deal for member states' approval
The EU put forward a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur for approval by member countries Wednesday, reassuring chief critic France it came with "robust" safeguards to protect farmers.

Iran's small businesses hit by rolling blackouts
Pizzeria owner Saeed is unable to take or serve orders at his restaurant in the Iranian capital, his business stalled by rolling power outages that have compounded the country's many economic woes.

Scotland's Townsend extends contract until 2027 Rugby World Cup
Gregor Townsend said the chance to coach Scotland at another Rugby World Cup was "exciting" after extending his contract until the 2027 tournament in Australia.